1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cushioning material for protecting a display module provided with a display screen having a display area and a frame area around the periphery of the display area, to packing material for packing the display modules when the display modules are to be transported, and to a transport method for display modules in which the packing material is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) modules and other flat display modules are transported, the display modules are packed with cushioning material, and are protected from impact, soiling, and other unwanted events (refer to FIG. 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-100087, for example). FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing conventional cushioning material described in the prior art.
Conventional cushioning material 201 is formed by laminating unidirectionally corrugated paper in the paper surface direction so that the extended direction of the corrugations do not match, as shown in FIG. 12. In the cushioning material 201, a bottom portion 202 and a pair of side portions 203 that stand erect from both ends of the bottom portion 202 are provided, and the overall shape is a U-shape. A plurality of pairs of notches 204 are formed on the faces of the sides facing each other in the pair of side portions 203. Both ends of a plurality of LCD modules 101 are held between the pairs of notches 204, and the modules are held within the cushioning material 201.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an LCD module, and FIG. 14 is a front view showing the LCD module during transport. The LCD module is a unit in which the following components are housed in a case: a liquid crystal panel obtained by placing a liquid crystal layer between two transparent substrates, a drive circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel, and a backlight for shining light on the liquid crystal panel are housed in a case. The display screen 102 of the LCD module 101 is made up of a display area 103 that is positioned in the center of the display screen, and a frame area 104 that is positioned around the periphery of the display area, as shown in FIG. 13. The uppermost surface of the display area 103 is composed of a polarizing plate.
When the LCD module 101 is to be transported, a protective film 111 is applied in order to protect the display area 103, as shown in FIG. 14. The protective film 111 is applied to the display screen 102 with tape 112 so as to cover the display area 103. The protective film 111 is a film made of a transparent polycarbonate resin, for example, and is coated with an antistatic material. The protective film 111 prevents soil caused by electrostatic charge or the like from being deposited on the display area 103 of the LCD module 101.
The LCD module 101 covered with the protective film 111 is placed and packed in a vinyl bag (not shown). The bag protects the LCD module 101 from dirt, electrostatic charge, dust, moisture, and the like. In this manner, the LCD module 101 is placed in the cushioning material 201 while the display screen 102 is covered with the protective film 111 and the module is packed in the vinyl bag, and is transported together with the cushioning material 201.
However, the prior art described above has the following problems. When LCD modules are transported using the conventional transport method, soiling occurs on the display area of the LCD module. FIG. 15 is a front view showing soil deposited on an LCD module during transport. In the display area 103 of the LCD module 101, linear soil marks form in two areas 121 that are a fixed distance from both edges of the LCD module 101, as shown in FIG. 15. Irregularly shaped soil marks also form in an irregularly shaped area 122 between the areas 121. The soiling occurs on the inner side of the protective film 111, and can be removed when wiped with a cloth or the like, but time must be spent to wipe the screens at the transport destination. Also, the display area 103 of the LCD modules 101 is liable to be accidentally damaged during the wiping operation.